Are you tired of using fairness and anti-ageing creams that promise to get rid of pigmentation and dark spots but fail to deliver what they advertise? Then why not use natural remedies that are safe, cheap and effective? Easily available fruits and vegetables like potatoes, lemons and papayas are not only effective in getting rid of dark spots and pigmentation but can also help your skin glow. Potato and lemons are known to have mild bleaching properties whereas papaya helps in exfoliating the skin. Here are 10 shocking causes skin pigmentation.

Potatoes–Potatoes contain B-complex vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus which contribute to its skin lightening properties. Niacinamide, a component of vitamin B complex is known for its cell renewal properties.

How to use –Rub a potato slice on your face in circular motion for 10 minutes. If you feel the potato slice has gone dry, use another slice. Here are a few other ways you can get rid of dark spots and pigmentation.

Lemons–The vitamin C in acts as an antioxidant which helps in reducing melanin in the skin. Lemons also contain citric acid which also acts as an exfoliating agent, removing dead skin cells and making the skin appear lighter. Here are six ways you can use lemons in your beauty routine!

How to use –Mix a tablespoon of brown sugar and an egg white. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to it and mix well. Apply this mixture on your face and gently rub with your fingers in circular motions for 10 minutes. Rinse your face with plain water.

Papaya: Papaya contains an enzyme called papain which is an excellent exfoliating agent as it helps in regeneration of new skin cells. Here's how you can get

How to use–Juice a ripe papaya and apply the mixture on the pigmented area. Leave it on for 10 minutes. After the juice dries up on your skin, wash it with plain water. Apply papaya juice on your face for a month to see the changes.

With inputs from Divya Ohri, beauty expert and owner of Soham Wellness Clinic, New Delhi.

Image source: Shutterstock

]]>http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/12/29/use-papaya-potatoes-and-lemons-to-get-rid-of-dark-spots-and-pigmentation/feed/0Look 5 years younger with this aroma fruit packhttp://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/11/16/look-5-years-younger-with-this-aroma-fruit-pack/
http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/11/16/look-5-years-younger-with-this-aroma-fruit-pack/#respondMon, 16 Nov 2015 18:33:39 +0000http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/?p=2722Signs of ageing are first noticed on the skin. As we age, the skin starts becoming thinner and loses its natural elasticity. Add to it lack of moisture and fine lines will soon appear, making you look older. Stress, smoking, drinking alcohol and junk food, lack of exercise and not drinking enough water can cause wrinkles. What your skin needs is some pampering and natural ingredients often come to rescue. Are you following these anti-ageing tips for your skin?

Here’s a recipe for an anti-ageing mask by Dr Nirmala Shetty, founder of Nirmal Herbal, from her book Beauty at your finger tips.

The Aroma Fruit Pack

Things you need

4 tsp avocado paste

4 tsp papaya paste

1 tsp almond oil

1 dash ylang ylang essential oil

Recipe

In a glass bowl, mix the papaya and avocado paste. Add the oils to it and stir again till all ingredients are mixed well.

Apply the pack on your face and neck and massage gently. Let it stay for 5-10 minutes.

Wash with cold water and pat dry. Moisturise your face after this routine.

Using this pack daily will ensure you enjoy young and glowing skin suggests Dr Nirmala.

Being a rich source of Vitamin E, avocados keep the skin healthy and maintain the complexion. It protects the skin from sun damage and reduces signs of ageing. Papaya is effective in reducing acne, tan and Vitamin A present in it provides nourishment to the skin. This helps ward off wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of ageing. Ylang ylang oil improves skin elasticity by shrinking large pores and helping in the regeneration of skin cells [1]. Almond oil is a natural moisturiser and prevents dryness. All these combined work as a perfect recipe to keep the skin youthful and glowing. You can also incorporate these foods to prevent early ageing of skin.

]]>http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/11/16/look-5-years-younger-with-this-aroma-fruit-pack/feed/0DIY lentil face packs for glowing, acne-free skinhttp://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/09/11/diy-lentil-face-packs-for-glowing-acne-free-skin/
http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/09/11/diy-lentil-face-packs-for-glowing-acne-free-skin/#respondFri, 11 Sep 2015 13:01:13 +0000http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/?p=2724When it comes to comfort food, dal and rice tops the list. What if you could comfort your skin with dals too? Lentils have a lot of beauty benefits to offer. In fact, lentils make very good exfoliants and also help in tightening skin pores. Enjoy soft, supple and fresh skin with these easy DIY face packs using lentils or dals.

Masoor dal

Red lentils or masoor dal is often referred to as orange coloured dal too. It is rich in proteins and helps combat skin problems like acne, dry skin, pigmentation and scars.

All-in-one face pack

You need:

1/2 cup masoor dal, soaked overnight

1/3 cup raw milk

How to use:

Grind the soaked masoor dal in the morning. Add milk to it to form a thick paste.

Massage this gently on the face in a circular motion and leave it for 20 minutes.

Wash with cold water and pat dry. This face pack is suited for all skin types and is a great scrub too.

Skin brightening face pack

You need:

50 gms masoor dal, soaked overnight

1 tsp raw milk

1 tsp almond oil

2 tsp orange peel powder (optional)

How to use:

Grind the dal to a fine paste. Mix other ingredients to form a thick paste.

Apply it evenly on your face and let it stay for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with cold water.

The orange peel will add a glow to your face. If you do not have it, you can still use this pack for its skin brightening benefits.

Urad dal

Urad dal or black gram has many health benefits and a few beauty benefits too. The antibacterial properties of urad dal help in skin regeneration and fade acne scars and age spots. Urad dal is a natural bleach and hence helps in lightening skin tone too. By cleansing pores and removing excess oil, urad dal helps in treating acne too. Here are some beauty benefits of urad dal for your skin and hair.

Acne face pack

You need:

1/2 cup urad dal, soaked overnight

2 tbsp rose water

1 tbsp glycerine

2 tsp almond oil

How to use:

Grind the dal to a fine paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Apply it evenly and allow it to stay for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with cold water and pat dry.

Apply it on your face and neck every day to get rid of the tan or blemishes. Wash off with cold water.

Applying it 2-3 times a week or daily if possible will give you glowing and tan-free skin.

Moong dal

The protein rich split gram or yellow moong dal is often used in face packs to get rid of dark spots and facial hair. It improves skin tone and makes it even too, by eliminating tan and blemishes.

Fairness pack

You need:

1 tbsp moong dal powder

1 tbsp honey

How to use:

Mix the two ingredients together to form a paste. Apply it on your face and wash it off with lukewarm water after 15-20 minutes.

The coarse moong dal powder will work as an exfoliant and help get rid of dead skin too.

Facial hair removal pack

You need:

1 tbsp coarsely ground moong dal powder

1/2 tbsp rice flour

1/2 tbsp besan or gram flour

Milk as required

How to use:

Mix all the ingredients and add milk to make a paste.

Apply it on your face and allow it to dry. Then gently scrub the paste off your face and wash with lukewarm water.

Follow this twice a week to get rid of patchy skin due to unwanted facial hair.

Whole moong

Green gram powder has been used traditionally as an ubtan instead of soap to get rid of the grime and dust. It clears the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. Green gram powder helps in eliminating blackheads, whiteheads, reduce pimple scars and works best on oily skin. Here are 6 amazing benefits of green gram for your hair and skin.

Acne pack

You need:

¼ cup moong, soaked overnight

2 tbsp ghee, preferably homemade

How to use:

Grind the moong to a fine paste. Add the ghee to it and mix well.

Now rub it gently on your face in circular upward motion. Wash off with lukewarm water.

Use it 2-3 times a week for better results.

Dry skin pack

You need:

2 tbsp moong

Milk to soak the moong

How to use:

Soak the moong in milk overnight. Grind them to a coarse paste.

Apply it evenly on face and neck. Leave for 20 minutes and wash off with cold water.

]]>http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/09/11/diy-lentil-face-packs-for-glowing-acne-free-skin/feed/09 homemade face packs to manage combination skinhttp://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/06/10/9-homemade-face-packs-to-manage-combination-skin/
http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/06/10/9-homemade-face-packs-to-manage-combination-skin/#respondWed, 10 Jun 2015 08:39:35 +0000http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/?p=2726Does your face feel oily and dry at the same time? You have combination skin, which can be tricky to manage as not all ingredients work on it – some can be too drying while some will make it oilier. But worry not, Dr Anju Methil, a dermatologist and cosmetologist, shares face packs and scrubs that work on this skin type.

According to Dr Anju, ‘Combination skin is one that is oily and dry. Usually the T-zone that is the forehead and nose are oily while the cheeks are either dry or normal.’ She suggests using these face packs to manage this skin type.

Honey + lemon juice

While honey acts as a moisturiser, lemon juice is a lightening agent. This makes it perfect for combination skin.

If your skin gets too dry in parts, make sure you add a rich moisturising agent such as banana or papaya to make your skin supple. The lemon juice will not only lighten your suntan, but also keep the oiliness at bay.

Mash a few chunks of the fruit in a bowl.

Squeeze half a lemon in it and mix the two.

Apply on the skin and leave it to dry.

Wash off with plain water.

Milk + honey + lemon juice + almond oil

Milk has lactic acid that acts as a skin lightening agent while honey helps moisturise the skin. Adding lemon juice works on keeping the T-zone oil-free and the almond oil works on the cheeks.

Mix one tablespoon of milk with honey and apply it on the face.

Now apply lemon juice on the T-zone and almond oil on the cheeks.

Leave this on for 20 minutes and then wash it off with water.

Dried orange peel + curd

Give your skin a dose of vitamin C naturally with orange. The addition of curd in this pack will help tighten your skin and intensely moisturise it too. Also try these other curd packs.

Dry orange peel and then grind it.

Now add curd to make it a thick paste.

Apply and wash off after 20 minutes with lukewarm water.

Cucumber juice + honey

If your skin is a combination of normal and oily, this pack will work wonders for you. Honey will tighten and moisturise your skin and cucumber juice will take care of the tan.

This pack is perfect for summers as it helps cool the skin without leaving it feeling too dry or too oily. It is a one-stop solution to tighten and brighten the skin.

Mix milk powder with curd and cucumber juice.

Apply the pack on your skin and let it dry.

Then wash off with cold water.

Curd + rosewater + honey

Another hydrating face pack, the curd and rosewater soothe the skin and honey keeps the moisture intact. Adding rosewater will also tone the skin and close the pores.

Mix curd and honey to make a paste.

Add a few drops of rosewater to it and apply on your face.

Wash it off after a few minutes.

Oats + curd

It is important to use a scrub every few days to get rid of dead skin cells. Use oats to scrape this layer off your skin and curd for its moisturising action. Use this scrub once every 10 to 15 days if your skin is normal and oily.

Mix oats and curd to get a grainy paste.

Apply it on the T-zone and other parts of the face but avoid applying too much on the cheeks.

For more articles on home remedies, visit our home remedies section. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter.

]]>http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/06/10/9-homemade-face-packs-to-manage-combination-skin/feed/05 excellent face packs to treat freckles at homehttp://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/03/09/5-excellent-face-packs-to-treat-freckles-at-home/
http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2015/03/09/5-excellent-face-packs-to-treat-freckles-at-home/#respondMon, 09 Mar 2015 18:38:51 +0000http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/?p=2728Freckles are usually a genetic or hormonal problem that occur as tiny spots on the skin. Increase of the pigment 'melanin' on the skin results in freckles. While there are a number of treatments for freckles – laser, bleaching, and other chemical treatments, natural ingredients are also surprisingly effective to remove freckles from your skin. Here are a few face packs you can make at home to fade freckles.

Almond pack
The application of almonds on your skin can give you an even skin tone and help fade away freckles. They are also rich in vitamins D & E that helps lock moisture into the skin.

How to use:

• Mix five drops of almond oil with five tablespoons of lemon juice.
• Also add one tablespoon ground almond to the mixture and make a fine paste.
• Apply it all over your face. Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash it off with warm water.
• Follow this routine twice a week to see your freckles diminishing.

Milk cream and yogurt pack
The lactic acid in milk cream removes freckles and makes them less noticeable. Yogurt will help remove the impurities from your skin and make it soft and supple. You can also try this great home remedy for freckles.

How to use:

• Combine two tablespoons milk cream with one tablespoon of yogurt.
• Add three drops olive oil to this mixture.
• Also, add two drops of lemon juice and make a fine paste.
• Apply it on your face and leave it for 25 minutes before washing it off with cold water.
• Use this three times a week to see visible results within a month.

Oatmeal and buttermilk pack
Being rich in vitamins, oatmeal works very well in diminishing freckles and other skin pigmentations naturally. Buttermilk has bleaching properties that can help lighten and fade the freckles.

How to use:

• Mix one tablespoon oatmeal with one tablespoon of buttermilk and combine well.
• Apply this paste on your face and leave it for 20 minutes.
• Later, wash it off with lukewarm water.
• Use this every alternate day to see visible results.

• Combine two tablespoons gram flour with ½ tablespoon turmeric powder.
• Now add one tablespoon lemon juice to make a smooth paste.
• Apply this pack on your face and leave it for 15 minutes before washing it off with cold water.
• Using this pack twice a week will fade the freckles on your face.

Honey and wheat germ oil pack
Honey is another very effective remedy to get rid of freckles. It contains enzymes that can lighten pigmentations of the skin. Wheat germ oil can work wonders for your skin. It is rich in vitamin E, which will help in retaining a healthy skin.

How to use:

• Add one teaspoon of wheat germ oil to one tablespoon of honey. Mix both the ingredients well.
• Apply this gently on your face and let it settle for 20 minutes.
• Then wash it off with lukewarm water.
• Use this thrice a week before bedtime to get rid of the freckles.

Image source: Getty Images

For more articles on skincare, visit our skincare section. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter.

Tricks For Happy, Healthy, Sun-Kissed Skin

by Tera Warner

Last weekend was beautiful and sunny in Montreal, so on Saturday I got out a good book, a pen, my phone for an appointment, a couple liters of coconut water, then popped on my bicycle and went for a looooong four-hour bike ride.

I peddled out to nearby nature reserve where I spent the day basking (ok, more like baking) in the spring sun. It was AWESOME!! At some point I took a break from the heat and nestled in the branches of a tree to take a nap while the river ran beneath me! I got a little more sun than I had bargained for while biking home, so thought I would pass along my pre-, during and post-sun exposure tips for summer in case you find those helpful! In spite of what everyone says about fair-skinned folk like me, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your skin’s response to the sun and protect it without gooping on a toxic concoction of chemicals!

What Are You Offering the Sun?

Consider your skin a sort of… baking tray.

Then consider the contents of your cells kinda like whatever you’d be cooking up in that tray. The cleaner the food you eat, the better you’ll bake. When you eat rancid oils, processed or sugary food, your skin becomes much less elastic, dries, cracks and is more prone to acne, spots, psoriasis, eczema, etc..

When you’re nourishing your body with high quality fats and antioxidant-rich foods (leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables) your skin gets healthier and more able to resist and appreciation time in the sun without artificial, chemical “protection!”

The cleaner your food, the healthier and more beautiful your skin will be and the more your body will thrive and benefit from natural, healthy exposure to sun!

If It’s On Your Skin, It’s In!

The second most important factor to consider regarding your skin’s offering to the sun is not just what you eat, but what you put on your skin.

All the moisturizers, face creams, cleansers, exfoliators, toners, wrinkle and pimple banishing potions you use are a toxic concoctions of chemicals that when combined with the heat of the sun, make for something like a high risk high school science experiment that happens on your face!

Unfortunately, driven by fear-based marketing about sun exposure, most women add an additional layer of “sun block” to “protect” themselves from the harmful effects of all the other toxic products and food that are creating the problem in the first place.

*sigh*

Look at this “#1 dermatologist recommended” sunscreen that is “pure & free” with “naturally sourced” ingredients sold for use with babies: (Click on the image to see the ingredients in another window)

Retinyl palmitate, which is a form of Vitamin A, is suspected to increase skin cancer and tumors when exposed to sunlight! Oxybenzene is another ingredient commonly found in sunscreens which is harmless UNTIL exposed to sunlight, at which point it becomes highly carcinogenic! Check your own sunscreen ingredients at home and see if you can find “propylene glycol” (That’s antifreeze and should only be handled with gloves in a chemical plant!!)

Who the heck lets this stuff get on the shelves?!

Redhead-Approved Tricks for Happy, Healthy Sun-Kissed Fun

Before I head out in the sun, I use a mixture of coconut oil and jojoba on my skin. (If you don’t have jojoba, just use coconut oil.) This combination of oils can provide a protection comparable to SPF 8 or 10. This isn’t ideal for hours of direct midday exposure, but it nourishes and protects the skin without putting harmful chemicals on it.

The next level or protection for me involves light, long-sleeved clothing. If that’s not possible, you can make your own natural sunscreen using zinc oxide. See our Facebook page where we’ve posted an awesome natural sunscreen recipe you can make at home!

While the right combination of light clothing big, beautiful hats and shady trees keep me from needing to wear any sun protection 95% of the time. It does happen on occasion that I get a little more sun than I would like. When that happens, here’s my quick, overnight relief for sun burn:

I sponge and soak my skin in apple cider vinegar. I just soak a face cloth and sponge my skin gently for about 10 minutes. This cools and freshens the skin and relieves pain significantly. After that, I lather lavender-infused coconut oil all over my skin and soak in every last drop! Usually by morning, my skin is almost completely recovered. The following day I’ll be gentle with my exposure to the sun, but usually after that I won’t have any more trouble for the rest of the summer!!

I hope these tips have been helpful and that you enjoy soaking up all the benefits of natural, healthy sun exposure this summer!

Love and long bike rides,

Tera

p.s.

I’ve posted an awesome natural sunscreen recipe on my Facebook page that you can make in your own kitchen and keep on hand for the rare occasions when you and your family really need extra protection.

Raw & Organic Skin Care – If You Can’t Eat It, Don’t Use It

by Fran Kerr

Today I’m writing this article in the garden out the back of a beautiful raw food cafe in Sedona. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel through the United States from Australia for a few weeks.

I originally came here to check out the raw food and health scene but after a few days in the city I couldn’t ignore a strong call from nature to get myself out of the concrete jungles and into the natural beauty that’s everywhere across the States. I guess ever since I transitioned into eating predominantly live foods, every element of my life has started to pull me towards mother Earth which has been an incredibly wonderful transition on all accounts.

One of these elements of course is my skin care. I’m actually surprised at how many people I meet on a live food diet who are using terrible skin care routines.

What you put onto your skin does matter because our skin is a big porous organ that soaks in a lot of what we slather onto it. When you take a shower for example, an average of 1.5 liters of water will soak into your body. That quite obviously demonstrates just how much our skin is capable of drawing in.

So, if you’re super careful about eating fresh and organic foods, you want to also be super careful about what you put on top of your skin.

The longer I work in the natural skin care industry the more I shift towards raw and organic ingredients from nature. The Earth has provided the best and most healing plants for our skin. And the good news is, a lot of them you can easily pick up from your health food store or even grow in your very own garden. Gone are the days when we had to buy a packaged skin care product from the store.

I’m going to challenge you to throw all of your products away and start working with what nature has provided! And that doesn’t mean you have to get into the kitchen and start making up your own formulas. Often just one ingredient can be enough. Lets take a look at a couple of options.

Honey Cleansing

In my opinion honey is one of the best gifts nature has made available. Unfortunately vegans are going to have to skip this one, but for those of us who do still consume honey products, it’s the best ever ingredient you can use for your own skin care routine.

I cleanse my face every day with honey. Nothing else, just honey, and my skin has never looked or felt better.

Honey is highly anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal so it’s perfect at keeping any nasties away from your skin. It’s also acid in nature so won’t destroy the natural acid mantle of your skin. The acid mantle is your skins natural protection barrier, you don’t want to be messing around with it!

Honey is also very hydrating so if your skin is dry then you’ll need less moisturizer. If your skin is oily then you may not even need any additional moisturizing.

How awesome is that to be able to simplify your skin care routine to honey only! It’s a huge saving in money and a lot less stuff to carry around.

As for the type of honey, I find raw, organic and local to be the best. Buy from your local farmers market or health food store. You can also play around with manuka honey, but from my experience, for simple cleansing, the raw and local stuff is just as good.

Aloe Vera

Cacao freaks have cacao ceremonies, I’d love to start having aloe vera ceremonies. You can call me aloe girl. I love, love, love aloe vera. It has so many wonderful uses both internally and externally.

For the skin, I love to make an aloe vera and manuka honey mask.Do this every day for two weeks and you’ll look ten years younger.

Aloe vera is best straight from the plant. You can actually fillet the gel out and throw some into your smoothies and use the rest on your skin. I have not found a packaged aloe vera gel product that’s anywhere close to being as powerfully healing as the real thing.

Aloe vera gel also contains a natural salicylic acid so it’s a deep pore cleanser when used on its own. Use the gel straight from the plant to apply all over your face and leave on overnight. It also has an immediate skin tightening effect so you may even find puffy eye bags going down, and any large pores or wrinkles diminishing in size. This is powerful stuff.

I recommend you start growing your own aloe vera plants in your garden or in pots if you live in an apartment. If you’re lucky enough you may also find large aloe leaves for sale at your local health food store. I’ve seen them at Erewhon in LA and I’m going to hassle my local health food stores back in Australia to try and get them in as regular items in the produce section.

Aloe vera is also a wonderful natural sunblock. I’m about to head off into the Arizonian desert for a retreat for a few days. I’m planning on taking a few big leaves of aloe vera with me to use as a natural sunblock. It’s not anywhere near as strong as an SPF 30 and I do get a bit gooey when it’s on, but it’s natural, not harmful to the environment and it works better than using nothing.

It’s alsogreat applied on sunburn at reducing the redness and sting if you’ve accidentally stayed in the sun for too long. Keep some aloe vera leaves in the fridge or freeze a fresh leaf in the freezer for a little, then apply to the sunburn. The cool gel will feel amazing. I love this plant so much.

Lavender Essential Oil

I’m going to set a new years resolution in 2011 to change the global mindset of essential oils from “What my grandma uses to make her potpourri smell nice” to “Wow, the most healing oils on the planet.”

I used to be one of those people that thought essential oils where just used to make things smell nice, until my ex-lover showed me how one drop of lavender oil will take away the itch from a mosquito bite in less than 60 seconds. I was sold and dug a little deeper to find that essential oils do in fact hold quite magical healing powers.

I carry a small stash of essential oils around with me wherever I go. And you’ll always find lavender in there. Apart from the many things lavender essential oil is good for, on the skin:

it will take away any itch,

reduce redness and inflammation and

help heal acne inflammations and acne scars.

One little drop is all it takes, but remember, one tiny drop of lavender essential oil is made up of many lavender flowers which is why it’s so powerful.

I’m super excited to be giving these tips to you because I know they work and I also know they’re better for your skin than just about any product on the market, natural or not.

Natural ingredients from nature are packed full of healing ingredients that nurture and nourish the skin while cleansing, moisturizing and healing. And the gentleness of them will help support your skins natural healing process instead of attempting to battle against it, which is what many packaged products work at doing.

Somewhere along the line we forgot that our skin does an awful good job at healing itself so we just need to give it a little bit of help and support by feeding it with natures top nutrients.

*****

Our BE Clean program is coming up – next session begins April 19th! Come join us to: restore your energy, improve your health, and shoot your confidence through the roof! Our 30 day program will clean and green your home and leave you feeling free of trapped energy and muddled thoughts!

]]>http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2014/03/27/raw-organic-skin-care-if-you-cant-eat-it-dont-use-it/feed/0The Beauty and Her Bowels: What Poop Has to Do With Your Glowing, Gorgeous Complexionhttp://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2012/09/06/the-beauty-and-her-bowels-what-poop-has-to-do-with-your-glowing-gorgeous-complexion/
http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2012/09/06/the-beauty-and-her-bowels-what-poop-has-to-do-with-your-glowing-gorgeous-complexion/#respondThu, 06 Sep 2012 20:20:17 +0000http://skinresearchinstitute.com/news/index.php/2012/09/06/the-beauty-and-her-bowels-what-poop-has-to-do-with-your-glowing-gorgeous-complexion/

The Beauty and Her Bowels: What Poop Has to Do With Your Glowing, Gorgeous Complexion

Glowing skin is a combination of so many factors. You know your skin definitely looks better when you are eating nutrient rich, colorful fruits and veggies, staying super hydrated and selecting only non-toxic, all natural beauty care products and cosmetics. But, there is still so much more you can do to improve your skin, how you look and, more importantly, how you feel if you make the cellular connection to beauty.

Natural Beauty & Flawless Skin Begin Within

Your skin, especially your face, can tell you so much about what’s happening inside your body. When you see a pimple beginning or wrinkle starting to deepen, your initial reaction may be to simply apply a zit zapping solution or a wrinkle reducer.

Although these can work to treat and heal the pimple or to hydrate the skin and make the wrinkle less noticeable, these topical solutions won’t do single thing to stop another pimple from popping up or wrinkle from creasing.

This is when making a cellular connection to natural beauty is so important. Bumps and spots on your face or rashes on your arms or legs are your body’s way of letting you know there’s something up. Gut health and your skin is one of the most commonly discussed cellular beauty connections.

When your gut is congested, you are likely to develop constipation, gas and bloating. You may be amazed to find out that what’s causing your impacted stools, painful gas and the “I look like I’m three months pregnant” bloat is also contributing to the development of acne, rosacea, eczema, a variety of other skin rashes plus an overall sense of fatigue, making you feel, shall we say it, kind of crappy!

Meet Paula’s Purple Pooping Pew

Let’s face it, ladies, you’re probably full of poop; and, although we’ve been told its not lady like to talk about poop, it’s a conversation we must have if we want to look and feel our absolute best. Since your skin is your largest organ, if the body is unable to excrete toxins through a congested waste system, it will opt to excrete those nasty toxins through your skin. Who wants this?

This is where my Purple Pooping Pew comes in really handy. By raising your feet while sitting on your pooping palace, so to speak, you are able to more efficiently and effectively pass your stools.

It’s all about alignment. Your body was designed to squat when eliminating and when you squat the need to strain vanishes. Your bowels are able to easily, quickly and completely pass stored fecal matter— ahhhhhhh – what a feeling— and you take pressure off your rectum, reducing the chances of hemorrhoids and fissures. If you already have hemorrhoids and/or fissures, using a stool will reduce pain and improve healing. It’s a win-win!

Nourish Your Skin & Restore Your Glow

If you are intrigued and want to learn more about the connection between gut health and your gorgeousness, then you must sign up for the 30-Day Natural Beauty Makeover.

Throughout the 30-Day Makeover, you will be learning how the gut, liver and your hormones impact your ability to look and feel marvelous in addition to uncovering the most common beauty myths and practices and replacing them with all natural tips and remedies to help you restore your healthy, natural glow.

Paula Davis is your SuperGlow Girl, ready to leap over toxic beauty products to help you reclaim the natural beauty you have always known you could be. A passionate health coach and lover of all things natural and holistic, she will support your BE Beauty needs from the top of you head, to the tip of your toes and all the wonderful bits and pieces between. With or without her cape, she will personally help you navigate the 10-Day BE Beauty Mini Makeover and be a consistent and reliable resource to help you get your glow on.If you want to learn more about natural treatments for beauty, register for Be Beauty’s FREE 10-Day Natural Beauty Makeover.

Hormones, digestion and modern skin care are the cause of most acne problems. Fortunately, there 5 easy steps that you can take to get your skin smooth and healthy again.

5 Steps to Banish Acne

1. Introduce fermented foods and probiotics into your diet.

A healthy gut is lined with billions of beneficial bacteria that boost our immune system. The helpful bacteria found in fermented foods and probiotics keep your digestive system moving quickly and efficiently.

Minimize the dietary causes of inflammation and your skin will heal and glow.

3. Keep a clean colon.

Constipation is no fun, for many reasons. If your digestive system is backed up, hormones are not effectively processed by the liver, and this can cause hormonal acne around the jawline and chin. Also, proteins, pathogens and toxins that are not processed through the digestive system are often sent to the skin to be excreted, resulting in acne and blemishes.

If you remove from your diet glutens and foods with low nutritional value, and have a series of colonics, you can clear up constipation. This will free up your digestive system to do its job of eliminating waste so that you skin can do its job: Protecting you and looking radiant.

4. Balance your hormones.

Women, have your 28 day cycle. Birth control pills wreak havoc with hormone levels! There are also few simple dietary changes that will help clear up excess estrogen that can lead to acne: Eliminate soy from your diet and eat your broccoli!

Soy stimulates estrogen production, which leads to hormone surplus. Cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli and cabbage, are high in Indol 3 carbonyl which helps the body excrete estrogen, so it is very important to fill your meals with these powerful veggies. Also, supplement your diet with herbs like partridge berry, vitex and passion flower, which are powerful, and safe, hormone stabilizers.

5. Rethink clean.

Your skin does not need to be stripped squeaky clean with soaps, alcohols and chemicals to be clean! That beneficial top layer of skin that is so harshly stripped away is comprised of the Hydro-Lipid-Barrier and Acid Mantle. The lipid barrier is your skin’s water-proof seal, enabling the skin to retain water and shielding you from foreign substances trying to enter your body. The Acid Mantle is the natural layer of acidic-oils on the skin that fights acne causing bacteria. Healthy skin is home to friendly flora that are a vital part of the body’s immune system, which thrive only on skin with the top layer of lipids in place.

All modern skin care regimes break the skin’s water proof seal and obliterate the acid mantle, leaving the skin vulnerable to acne-causing bacteria and even inducing inflammatory acne in response to the toxins in harsh chemicals. Stripped of its natural lipids, the skin reacts by producing more oil to regulate its own moisture. When the bacterial balance is compromised, blemishes will occur until the Hydro-Lipid-Barrier is established.

Clean your skin gently and thoroughly, with oil like jojoba and without harming the acid mantle or lipid barrier. For specific care of blemishes, topical applications of essential oils like rosemary, immortelle, niaouli and carrot seed are helpful. They are astringent and anti-bacterial, and can be applied to acne and acne-prone skin with superior, glowing-skin results.

Strawberry season is definitely here! If you caught my last article with a few quick and easy recipes to help you make the most of this berry-licious season, then you’ll already be well-organized for treats you can eat with the whole family this summer.

But strawberries are much more than just a tasty treat for our taste buds. They are also packed with beauty secrets! Full of alpha-hydroxy acid, strawberries rejuvenate skin, leaving behind a fresh and glowing face (elbows or any other body part in need of exfoliation). All you need are a few strawberries, honey and some salt to make your whole body glow! Here are a few easy recipes to help you do it:

Strawberry Mash Renewal Masque

Just cut open a strawberry and scrub away. Relax and let the mash sit on your face for a bit, rinse, and reveal fresh, glowing skin.

Honey-berry Healing Masque

Blend up a few strawberries with honey. Raw honey, when mixed with water, acts as a mild antiseptic and can be used on cuts and abrasions. It’s anti-oxidant power helps to reverse the damage caused by free radicals and “aging.” Honey also promotes new tissue growth, makes an amazing exfoliant that helps shed dead skin, increase elasticity, stimulate collagen production, moisturize, minimize lines and wrinkles, and makes you look younger.

So throw a dollop or two of this with strawberries in the blender for a super, succulent, natural beauty self-pampering indulgence! Spread on face and sit back to relax. And please remember to lick your lips and dip your fingers in it a bit. It tastes as good as it feels.

After the mask has dried a bit, rinse with luke warm water and pat dry.

Strawberry Scrub

Blend up a cup of strawberries, 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 1Tbsp sea salt. Use as a scrub on all those rough and ragged body parts. Rinse, pat dry and reveal smoother, softer skin. This is a powerful scrub, so be careful around delicate skin tissue.

You can see why I’m so excited for summer-time and strawberry season! The health benefits of strawberries are numerous, from the cancer reducing ellagitannin, to the anti-inflammatory and collagen building properties shown to improve and prevent rheumatoid arthritis, to the glowing skin revealed by using a simple mask, strawberries pack a powerful punch. Of course, with so many bene

fits, it is a good thing we can have fresh, ripe strawberries most of the year round! Share some of your favorite ways to use strawberries below, and if you try any of these out on your gorgeous skin, we’d love to hear about it!

For a complete natural beauty makeover, be sure to learn more about our Be Beauty program: A 30-Day Natural Beauty Makeover. This life-changing program has been a powerful source of change, inspiration and empowerment for hundreds of women already, and it can change your life, too.